1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch apparatus including a meshing mechanism unit and an operating mechanism unit which can control the meshing mechanism unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle door latch apparatus includes a meshing mechanism unit which can be engaged with and disengaged from a striker on a body side and an operating mechanism unit which can control the meshing mechanism unit. For example, a related vehicle door latch apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2005-282221 includes an operating mechanism unit having a key lever, a key link and a key sub-lever which operate in such a manner as to follow the operation of a key cylinder provided on an external side of a door, a sector gear which operates in such a manner as to follow the rotation of a motor, a lock lever which is connected to a lock knob provided on an internal side of the door, and a link lever which is connected to the sector gear. Accordingly, the related vehicle door latch apparatus enables or disables opening of the door through operation of a door opening operation handle provided on the door by the link lever linked with the sector gear shifting from an unlocking position where the link lever can be brought into engagement with a ratchet lever of the meshing mechanism unit to a locking position where the link lever is disabled from engaging with the ratchet lever or shifting reversely based on a manual operation of the key cylinder or the lock knob or powered operation by virtue of motor drive.
In the related vehicle door latch apparatus described above, the key sub-lever and the lock lever are pivotally supported so as to rotate on the same pivot, and the sector gear is pivotally supported by the separate pivot in the different position from where the key sub-lever is pivotally supported, whereby the key sub-lever is connected to the sector gear via a connection lever (for example, refer to FIG. 3 of JP-A-2005-282221). Because of this, the sector gear, the connection-lever and the key sub-lever are disposed in the different positions, and an operation space where individual operations of the sector gear, the connection lever and the key sub-lever are permitted has to be secured within a cover which accommodates the respective levers of the operation mechanism portion. This eventually increases a front projection area of the operating mechanism unit (i.e., the area of the operating mechanism unit shown in FIG. 3 of JP-A-2005-282221). Thus, the operating mechanism unit may become enlarged.